Attending Sunday worship on Zoom means you need to see and hear what’s happening—fairly simple for anyone who is comfortable watching videos on YouTube or other places online.

Attending coffee hour on Zoom means that other people need to hear—and hopefully see—YOU. A bit trickier.

If you need to set up Zoom on your computer, follow the instructions for Zoom Setup here.

Test Your Computer

Hopefully, your computer has a built-in camera and microphone. If you aren’t sure, please give yourself time to test it before Sunday.

• You will need a microphone.
  • Virtually all laptops and tablets have a built in microphone but most desktops don’t.
  • The headset that came with your phone likely has a microphone on it. You can use the headset for the meeting.
  • When you log onto a Zoom meeting, you can choose to “test speaker and microphone.” Give yourself a few minutes to do this before the meeting starts.

• You will need a camera. (Actually, you’re okay if you don’t have a camera, but then we can’t see you, and we’d like to!)
  • Virtually all laptops and tablets have a built in camera but most desktops don’t.
  • Cameras are not very expensive. They clip on the top of your screen and you are good to go.
  • All phones have a camera. If you are planning to use your phone you might want to purchase a stand for your phone…or you can work out how to prop it up in the right place for your call.
  • For Security reasons you will want to unplug your camera when you are done with your zoom call.
  • When you enter the Zoom coffee hour, you will see what you look like on camera.

Coffee Hour Guidelines

• When you first enter coffee hour, it might be a little noisy as we initially sort people into “breakout rooms.”
• You should get a message on your screen asking if you want to join a breakout room. You do! Please join the breakout room when you’re invited.
• You will be randomly sorted into a breakout room. Conversation in that room is up to the gathered people.
• If you are having trouble with technology–you can’t see or hear, or people can’t see or hear you–please leave the breakout room and return to the main session. You can work on your technology issues there with the Zoom host.
• NOTE: The Zoom host is a rotating volunteer position, so you may see a different face each time. Be sure to thank our volunteers!
• If you would like to join a different conversation, leave your breakout room and return to the main session. You can ask the Zoom host to put you in a different room. Be sure to let the Zoom host know what room you were just in, or else they might put you back in!
• When you are ready to leave coffee hour, select “Leave Meeting.”

Best Practices

• Think about how your face is lit. Lighting should be in front of you, not behind you. You might want to sit close to a lamp.
• Please use a headset (microphone and earphones such as came with your phone. Your computer might need a set with a usb plug on one end).
  • If you don’t have a headset, take care to “mute” yourself when you are not talking.
• Once you are in the meeting, you can ensure your display name is what you want it to be by clicking on “participants” and moving your cursor over your name. A menu of options will appear, including “rename.”
• If you get an “internet unstable” message during the meeting, that means YOU have unstable internet. Stopping your video may help strengthen your internet connection.